I smoked my 'fitbit' yesterday..it's recovering today as am I photos from the gallery too!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Sometimes I amaze myself...and that's a GOOD thing! Yesterday I managed to rack up almost 20,000 steps on Fiona my little fitbit! That's almost 10 miles of walking..woot..woot! I got a good number in on my treadmill workout of 60 minutes and then last night when we met our friends for dinner we started the evening at a nice restaurant that offered happy hour and then decided to walk across the entire huge shopping center to Ted's Montana Grill for our dinner. Now believe me this particular girlfriend is VERY health conscious and she is really watching herself after an almost month long vacation to Croatia with her hubs. Of course they ate out all the time but mostly it was fresh seafood over there so she did really well.

I admire this friend and her fitness and nutrition regimen so much! She starts every morning out with a very BRISK walk and rarely EVER misses it! She never misses a meal either, breakfast is only fruit , and nothing BUT fruit until noon. At that time she's eating whether she is really hungry or not. Her hubs has a small garden here in FL (which is a challenge in and of itself) and they rarely eat out other than with our dine out group once a week. Mostly things are home cooked home prepared with the emphasis on veggies. She has 3 square meals a day with no snacking in between. I'm not so sure a little snack isn't a good thing if you choose small and wisely. I think it keeps your blood sugar more regular. But I have to also consider that because she is eating REAL food she's probably completely satisfied and doesn't need a nutritional boost that can sometimes go awry.

No wonder she looks so great!

Here's a shot of us last night. Me, Patty and her hubby Darryl. Unfortunately my sweetie wasn't in the pic as he was the camera man. I look at myself all chubby and such and then see how fit and slender Patty is. The camera doesn't lie! I have a long way to go on my fitness regimen. I always tell myself I'm just TOO busy to fuss over my exercise, and it's SO much easier just to go out and order a meal rather than go to all the effort of messing up the kitchen for only two people...but as you can see the camera doesn't lie! You can't control what goes into those restaurant meals even if you ask...if you aren't the cook..you don't know what goes in the meal.

I would NEVER even think about walking across that big shopping center to the restaurant let alone walking back to our cars after the meal. Hummm...this may explain that I need to think about getting from point A to point B a little harder huh?

Patty also takes yoga and pilates and I've noticed a definite gracefulness to her body frame since shes taken on these practices. Again...I'm like...she can do this she's fully retired and doesn't have the stress that I do, nor is she running around like a crazy woman trying to fit everything into a COMPLETELY over scheduled day.

BUT...I'm fooling myself...if I planned a little more efficiently there's no reason I couldn't pop a dvd in and do this too.

Hummm...those 20,000 steps on the fitbit just by adding a little more effort into my exercise have me thinking. And...it's a good think!

Patty is a good inspirational model on healthy living and aging gracefully...although I have to say...she does get a little professional help here and there!

But she does her fair share of the work too, so why not?

Here's a few pics of some of the new things that have recently came into our little consignment gallery. I HATE that I'm so out of room that I've had to resort to stacking things..I don't like this look...but space efficiency is space efficiency!

I totally LOVE this little rattan sleeper sofa/loveseat/ 2 end tables and darling coffee table that was designed for 2 little stools to slide right under it. These came from a very high end timeshare condo in Captiva Island. We met the maintenance supervisor a few years back and he hooked us up with great pieces of furniture. We buy this outright from him and then resale. Sadly he is almost ready to retire..so bummer...he's moving to Chile..some days I wish he'd take us with him!

This set also has two of the MOST wonderful lounge chairs..sooo comfy and the rattan is all leather wrapped none of that cheap raffia wrapping that pops and peels when it becomes brittle!

I think you can catch the chair better in this pic.

You really can't see the lamps well in this pic but they are to die for. Two sculptures of Art Deco with round globes. I totally LOVE these! Unfortunately Mr. Butterfingers (aka the hubs) was unloading them and one of the glass globes dropped and shattered into a million pieces. It was a satin finish that we can no longer find (even special order) so we had to get two matching milk glass ones to replace. They look okay unless you had seen the original ones...those were so much more elegant looking. The hubs was in the doghouse for at least a day over that one! But what are ya gonna do...forgiveness comes easy for me..and it could have been me that dropped it just as easily!

This gorgeous sectional is still there. It looks like a soft blue water cloud and is SO comfy! Problem is it's a space hogger so I knew it would take a good long time for the right home to come along. I'm hoping it's new owner finds it soon...I NEED me floor space!

These monster candelabras are sooo cool!! But they too need the special owner to spot them. They would look SO great in a restaurant patio or a big swimming pool area. They weight a TON...so it's going to take the right person to utilize them in the right place. Also I'm not sure the color that the designer chose to paint them is really working. Mint green is nice..but for candelabras...me thinks copper or black or beige would work so much better.

Decorators...a little crazy sometimes! He is also the one that bugs me every week...have they sold yet...have they sold yet. I'm like...you might want to paint them eh?

No response to that one! If you want them to be more salable...make em more salable! Honestly I think he expects ME to do it! Ain't happening...not with my 'to do' list.

Sweet little specialty chest with flower drawer pulls and crazy orange swivel rocker chair that I happen to love. Other people seem to lack my vision! Also check out those uber cool shutters..pink and orange..these came from the islands..I personally LOVE em...I'm waiting for the perfect color obsessed artist to walk in and snatch them up!

A great Ethan Allen table and two beautiful chairs all hardwood and hob nail upholstered. I have four of them and they are gorge!

Here's the other two with a nice console table. Consoles usually fly out the door...you can definitely tell it's the summer slows here in SW FL right now.

Another stacking trick which I really dislike having to do. This totally cancels the cuteness of the little french country farm table by having to stack this bookcase deal~y on it. But it could work as a desk with storage in a pinch I guess. I just don't have the floor space and more stuff keeps rolling in...sigh...I guess thats a good thing. I can only keep people waiting to get their stuff into our gallery for so long. It's a big compliment that they are willing to wait to bring it to us. Believe me there are consignment shops on every other corner down here in our neck of the woods. Competition is good...but saturation is BAD!

A nice shot of a red leather Pottery Barn chair...I can't figure out WHAT the heck people have against color! This chair is over $1500 in their catalog and I have it for less than $300...but still it sits. If only I could provide a good home to all my orphaned furniture...they say...don't hate me because I am colorful.....don't hate me because I have history.

Two sweet little arm chairs, they have 2 side chair sistas and a small frenchie looking table.

That's it that's all for now...time to get productive with my jewelry. I never have time to work on it and as much as I love sparking..it does have to have a time limit.

Remember I'm not soliciting anything with my consignment gallery, we here on spark share our worlds and my world is definitely all about being a worker bee..I just share what I do..and mostly it's WORK...it makes my spark world go round!

We'll meet up with another set of friends for a movies..and oh boy...another meal out after!

Tommorrow is our 35th wedding anniversary.. we REALLY wanted to get away to the mountains..but with our senior cat who is pretty fragile right now it just won't work.

We'll probably scoot out to Captivia Island and take in the sights. I LOVE Sanibel, Captiva and Pine Island..its FUN to play tourist a few days out of the year!

Here's our unwilling picture poser little Keanu...he's 18 years sassy by now and he NEVER wants to smile pretty for the camera!

Way to go on getting on those steps in my friend!!!!! Do I hear you comparing yourself to your friend???? I hope not. Your are gorgeous and a wonderful person,who should be proud of who she is. As far as getting healthier I have no doubt after putting all those steps in you are well on your way.

I love your your shop!!!!!!!!!!!!! So many beautiful things!!! Your kitty is so cute. I love your FitBit s name. I have to name mine now..LOL

Great tour of the shop! If I was close I'd be in there shopping....frequently!!!! I also LOVE the orange swivel chair.....Mr. Keanu is the grand poo-bah around your house I see!Thanks for all the lovely comments on my photos. I should update them.....

Thanks for the info on the fitbit. I will look into it. I'd heard the word, but didn't know what it was!

Happy Anniversary!!!!! 35 years is quite an accomplishment!!!! I'll have a toast to you 2 while I'm in AC!

Nice blog Bonnie on your friends and your consignment shop items. I enjoyed the mini tour of your shop...... if I had the space and money I would get the single comfy blue padded chair , orange swivel chair and red leather chair... What else ... Oh yes the two tables with a white small bookcase above the table... Few cozy items... Decisions...

I LOVE your blogs and the pictures of the things in your shop are awesome. Like I've said before, I wish I lived closer so I could come browse! I love a lot of the things you posted pictures of!!! Also, you are doing great with your fitness and the picture of you and your friends is just beautiful!!!! Love the kitty too!!!

Thanks for the tour of your Consignment shop! I LOVE the variety of stuff you have available. I'm never really been into that here in Omaha but I also haven't been in one that has the fun stuff that you seem to have. Hope you and hubby get to do something fun!

Keanu is so gorgeous!! He doesn't look "elderly"! Cats don't show it, do they? Lucky felines. I totally wouldn't be going away either, whether he was particularly fragile or not! heheI just figured out, my DH & I will be celebrating our 35th this year too! Wow!Always love seeing what you have in the gallery! If I had some space (and some $$), I'd be right down to take some of it off your hands! It is not all my taste, but I DO appreciate the beauty and possibility in all of it! Maybe you'll get some newbys move into the area and come shopping around and buy!! I know shoppers and buyers are usually 2 different animals, but if they're smart, they'll be both!Glad to hear of all your fitness!! Way to go! Now do that every other day!! Your friend is really inspirational!! She sounds like a great role model!Enjoy your anniversary, my friend! Jayne

He's beautiful. I love cats. Mine are now gone and I truly believe cats and dogs go to Heaven. I wrote a story about it after my fav "Ghost" died years ago. I think your's is saying, "Are we done yet?!!!"

I love your pics - all of them. Wish I had the space and money to buy the blue ratan. I love it and want it for my FL room. Unfortunately, it's enclosed, other than with screens and it gets so dirty in there - well they would be ruined in a couple days at best.

I personally, like yours stacking arrangements. I've seen it happen in many shops around here. One shop I was in had so much stuff she was stacking dinning room tables on top of each other, three high. I could just see someone walking in and saying, I want that one, pointing at the bottom one, but she had so much stuff you could barely walk in and when more people came in, you could not move. Lots of little dead end isles in her store, too. You do what you have to do and I don't think you should apologize for it. Nobody else could do it better than you do. You have great taste, although I wasn't feeling to close to you on that orange swivel chair.

Anyway, We are a place where we need to have the Salvation Army truck roll in and haul our furniture - well most of it - away so we can replace it. But no money means stuff like that is very low on the priority list and I've reached a point where I don't care. We don't have enough social things going on and I haven't entertained since we moved to FL - which reminds me - It appears that when people move to Florida, they want white furniture. Something about coming from the north says, white, and light, like the rattan stuff. I know we had some cheap rattan back in Seattle. It fell apart in less than a year and I had to make the cushions for it. I thought it was so cool, but there was nothing to do to save it, unless it would have been to spray paint then entire thing with Flecto Varathain. Oh well.

You can do this, Bobbi - I know you work in your gallery a lot. You have to, I understand that. But take a few moments and figure out your plan and then play your plan for yourself. Nobody else is going to be able to do it for you. I've gone through the ideas of trying to find the easy way - funny - nobody's found that one yet and they've been looking for decades. And I've gone through the ideas of "Wouldn't it be great if a fat farm moved in next door and gave the nearby neighbors free service." Nobody is going to do it for me or you or anyone else. And when the fat farm moves, guess what? I don't know anything better than I did when they moved in and I eat myself into fatsdom again, worse than before. It would happen to anyone. You are so beautiful. Okay a little chunky and I can say that cuz I am, too. let's face it, we know what we are. But inside us there is the most beautiful people who have experienced the realities of life, the fears and gloom of being unappreciated worker bees and mistreated by the fat rich monsters out there that are so self-serving, selfish, and uncaring, inconsiderate AHs that we have to know we are better than that. There is a place in Heaven for us. But in the meantime, we will strive to get past our tragedies, our fears, our anger, and all the crap that we have to climb over, under, around, and through and we will reach our goals, cuz we have it inside of us and we have our faith. I know we can do this. Keep up the "faith" with SparkPeople. Regardless of what the scale says or the camera blabs, it really helps to belong to SP. You can't throw it away cuz it's just got too much helpful info and too many friends that are full of insight, experience, and education, and encouragement.

Have a great one, Bobbi. I hope you get a crowd in that wants everything in your store and has the money to get it. I hope all your troubles - well the worst of them anyway - are swept away soon so you can feel the pressure and the stress disappear.

I'm wishing you SparklingSuccess in reaching ALL your dreams and goals, health, wealth, and happiness. Thanks for being my friend.

I just love hearing about and seeing photos of your consignment shop. My wonderful MIL worked in one in Texas for something to do while living there during the winter months. She loved it and made good friends. She was a people person like you and fun to be around.

Thank you for the pictures, you have a great looking shop, Bobbi! What an eye for decorating, just beautifully arranged! About your friend, she is living the kind of life we are all trying to live ourselves! She has mastered it. And Bobbi, you look gorgeous in this picture - healthy, happy and radiant!Thank you for sharing with us! Keep smokin' that fitbit!

Love the pictures of the gallery and I totally LOVE that red leather chair... and what a steal! Your friend Patty sounds very disciplined and it sure seems to work for her. No way could I eat just fruit for breakfast. I have to have my oatmeal or I'm hungry by 10am. Fruit is 0 points on Weight Watchers so I eat a lot of it. Good job on the steps yesterday. Those little fitness gadgets are really worth it. I just turned over 1 Million on my Nike Fuel Points! I love that it keeps a cumulative total. Hugs to you and also thanks for the goodie Bobbie.

Thanks for sharing your store contents....enjoyed the little tour!! Love the blue rattan furniture...would look so cute in a sunroom!! I love color and comfort and enjoyed seeing your creative little areas of your store!!! Love your name for your fit bit and the encouragement to walk more!! Your friend seems to be using her retirement time well. Trying to squeeze in healthy to the busy life can be a bit daunting but glad that you are counting your steps...or at least Fiona is!! Have a great weekend!!Smiles Barb